The Buddha

Who was the Buddha?

Siddhartha Gautama was born in the 6th century BCE into the Sakya clan, a people living in northern India, in what is now present-day Nepal. His father, King Suddhodana, and mother, Queen Maya, hailed from the warrior caste, and Siddhartha was destined to inherit the throne.

Desiring to shield his son from the harsh realities of life, King Suddhodana provided Siddhartha with a life of luxury within the confines of the palace walls. Siddhartha grew up surrounded by opulence and splendor, shielded from the suffering that pervaded the world beyond the palace gates.

Despite his privileged upbringing, Siddhartha was deeply affected by encounters with old age, sickness, and death. The stark realization of human suffering propelled him on a quest for truth and liberation. At the age of 29, Siddhartha renounced his princely status and set forth into the wilderness as a wandering ascetic. For six years, he practiced under the guidance of the most renowned spiritual teachers of his day. Not finding satisfaction with their teachings he decided to practice severe austerities, subjecting himself to extreme fasting and mortification of the flesh in pursuit of enlightenment. Realizing the futility of extreme asceticism, Siddhartha abandoned these practices and resolved to follow a middle path — a balanced approach to spiritual practice that transcended the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. Sitting beneath the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India, Siddhartha vowed not to rise until he had attained enlightenment.

On the full moon night of Visakha, Siddhartha entered deep meditation, confronting and transcending the defilements of greed, hatred, and delusion. As the first light of dawn illuminated the horizon, Siddhartha attained enlightenment, becoming the Buddha — the Awakened One. During this profound experience, he gained insights into the Four Noble Truths — the nature of suffering, its causes, its cessation, and the path to liberation.

Following his enlightenment, the Buddha spent the next forty-five years of his life tirelessly teaching the Dhamma (truth) to a diverse range of followers. From humble peasants to learned scholars, from kings and nobles to outcasts and ascetics, the Buddha's teachings transcended social boundaries, offering liberation to all who earnestly sought it.

The Buddha delivered his first sermon, known as the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, in the Deer Park at Sarnath, India. In this seminal discourse, he expounded the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path — the foundational principles of Buddhism. The Buddha's teachings emphasized moral conduct, mental development and the cultivation of wisdom as the means to liberation from suffering and the attainment of enlightenment.

At the age of eighty, in the town of Kusinara, India, surrounded by his disciples and followers, the Buddha entered Parinibbana — the final Nibbana. Yet, his teachings continued to resonate through the ages, offering guidance and solace to countless beings seeking release from suffering.